Mar 1, 2008

P1i Or N81? You Choose!

In one of the weirdest steps ever, I am putting my destiny (not that much) in your hands. I was looking for a second-hand Nokia N81 8GB when I stumbled upon a second-hand Sony-Ericsson P1i. I tried to weigh the pros and cons of each device, and ended up even more confused.

Nokia N81 8gb- It's S60 3rd and I am used to it- I know all applications that I can install and where to get them- Has 8gb of internal memory, can serve as a great music player replacement- Has 3.5mm plug so can be used on any headset or earphone- Has dedicated music keys- Supports Ngage, and allows me to get on the action- Has dedicated gaming keys- Should cost about 250$BUT- Has only 2MP camera- Build quality isn't impressive- I can't find one right now :s

Sony-Ericsson P1i- Is a new platform, Symbian UIQ3 so promises to be interesting- Is available now- Has touchscreen, should be great for accessing links in eBooks and web browser- Has 3.2MP camera- Build-quality is AWESOME, feels rock solid- Has the Track ID system (record a part of a song, and it tells you the name)- I can get it for 1 month and re-sell it without losing much money because SE phones don't drop prices quickly.BUT- Only 512MB memory card, and it's Sony's proprietary MemoryStick Micro so I won't buy a memory for it (it's not worth it)- Has proprietary music plug, no 3.5mm plug- Costs 360$

So, what do you think I should get? There's a poll on the left column, please vote :D I am placing my future month or so in your hands :D The poll will go for about 10-15 days I think

17 comments:

after trying the iphone, all other touch screen phones feel like they're from the stone ages :P, the P1i's touch is very very basic.

the keyboard sucks for typing, believe me i've tried it.

P1i's software is soooooooo counterintuitive. once you complained that nokias always ask u for the access point to use, well the p1i doesn't ask for anything, you actually have to go to a connections panel and establish the connection manually, plus setting it up with a new access point is also a long procedure.

the builtin browser is opera, it's not as good as nokia's, but opera promised releasing a new one soon, so can't judge.

the trackid is about the only impressive feature (there's shazam id for s60, but not for free).

A friend of mine has been a long time fan of the P series, he tried the P1i and says it's bad, the w960 is a much better choice according to his opinion (but it's too expensive).

I voted to keep ur 3250 or at least keep it until an N81 is available :)

I voted for N81Reasons:1. S60 v3 FP1 has a so many applications than the UIQ3 and you'll never regret if you think App-wise.UIQ communities are not fast paced either.

2. For a Girl it matches and suites well than the P1i

3. We want to see you further in the s60 v3 platform,your posts are great and you did a real good coverage in your trials with s60v3

***But***

1. Since you have already trialled one do you think that it can offer what you need(Specially after using the N95 8GB),Personally for me its not the one,and thinking girlishly, once I've asked about this device from my girl and the answer was "Nice but cheap when in your hand".

3. I haven't used a P1i but have had my hands on a p990i.So do not fooled by the touch screen and get stuck in something that limits you from what you hv become,If you are really serious about the touchscreen wait and save your money till S60 touch arrives.So by the time even if you can not go for it,you can get a N95 8GB for sure.

4. So alas keep your 3250 is the best though I didn't vote for it.(did so cos,I don't know exactly what your budget is)

I thought about the N95, but after trialling the N95 8GB, I think I will find that the N95 sucks :) plus as I have said over and over again, the only advantages that an N95 offers right now over the N81 right now are the camera and the accelerometer. Because we don't have GPS here nor HSDPA. I think more RAM on the N81 (compared to the N95-1) and better music quality and dedicated gaming keys outweighs camera + accelerometer for me. That's how I see it.

You don't have GPS? Do you mean there are no maps for Lebanon? It's a shame. Just wanted to tell you that among all the bells and whistles of my N95 (movies, GPS, music, games, internet, etc) the feature I end up using the most is the camera. Well, the fact that I have a 2y old daughter explains why I need a camera at all times, I guess. Being able to take a nice picture (or video) of my daughter anywhere is so nice. And with the new firmware, the RAM issue is almost a moot point.Anyway, if the choice is between the N81 and the P1i, count another vote for Nokia. And good luck finding one.

@ Dan, no there are no Maps whatsoever (lebanon is made out of ONE road, on both Google Maps and Nokia Maps). Plus we don't need them, Lebanon is basically a small country and we have grown to know the streets by heart (not all of them, of course, but the ones we use). Plus there's always the good solution of opening the window and asking for directions. Moreover, it would make NO SENSE to have Maps here, because the whole infrastructure is being changed, every day a new street is opened and another closed. Lol.About the camera, I have noticed that when I trialled the N95 8GB, I used the camera a lot the very first days, but later on, it all went into the background. I found myself using other features more frequently, like the WiFi, the applications on S60 3rd, the music and the gaming. Seeing that all these are available on the N81, I find it a shame to go the extra mile and pay a lot more money for something I wouldn't use frequently. Sure, it's good to have a great camera when you need it, but it's not a MUST for me now.Plus I am thinking of going for the N96 when it's available because by the end of the year, I am moving away from Lebanon to France, and then I would definitely need GPS, a good cam to report back home, and 3.5G :)

I agree with dan,and the N95 camera is really great.But it all depends on your choices ,habits and sometimes the surroundings,What I meant is that if you are living in an urban area there is not much variety to capture,but In the case that you live in a area filled with natural beauties you'll see many things to snap.I don't know whether you have visited my blog recently,If so but you'll figure out what I'm saying.When I got the N95 for trial the main Idea was to test the multitasking and accelerometer,but I found out the camera more attractive than any other.What you've finally mentioned is great thats the best choice.You'll never regret it.Saying so cos I made this wrong decision to go for N80 when it was very expensive and the main reason for me to buy it at that time was the resolution.So try to get a device like N96 which brings you the most into your hands. kz

@ Ravindra, I have been following your N95 coverage from the beginning. The macro shots you took were amazing, but I think you have to have the spirit of a photographer to be able to think "oh this would be great on camera", probably sthg I don't have. I have a thing for takin pics with my friends, when we're doing sthg funny or silly or... so my main concern is to remember the moment :)

As a current owner of both a N95-classic and a N82 I would say that the N82 would suit a girl best. However the buttons can sometimes be hard to press. The pictures taken with the N82 is superior to N95.I went a shop to try the N81 and I didn't like the quality of it at all when it came to the buttons which was very hard to press and not very responsive. The slider is much better on the N81 than the N95-classic no doubt about it.

But if you really like the N81 at the range of offers (e.g. music player, gaming etc.) it can offer you, you should wait.

Aha an ambitious girl! Want yourself a little N96, huh? I don't blame you. If you tested the N81 and really liked it, the bigger and more powerful brother (in looks, I mean) would suit you very well.I'd read a couple of reviews before buying it though. Or in your case, I guess you could get one to review it yourself. The lack of hardware 3D acceleration is a little suspicious for me. I'd like to see how everything works in the N96, especially games and video playback. I'd also like to see how the 950 mAh battery handles that big screen.

@ Dan, lol I know I am veryyy optimistic to think that I'm gonna get the N96. In any case (even if I have the money and the willingness to get it), I won't until I trial it and see how it works. The battery is my biggest concern, but I am planning to see whether the N95 8GB 1150mAh battery fits it :p

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About Me

It's hard to define my real personality. I am a poet/poem writer, I love imitations and learning accents, I also love genetics and am pursuing a carreer in Pharmacy and Biotechnologies, and when I got my 3250, I got addicted to Nokias and S60 3rd. I also used to have a Qtek 9100 but I sold them both to get an N95.
What part of my personalities do I put first? Well, it depends. Too many faces, you might think I'm schizo!